Flash lamp socket with ejector



l952 M. SCHWARTZ ETAL FLASH LAMP SOCKET WITH EJECTOR 2 Sf-IEETS-SHEET 1 Filed June 2. 1945 FnaZ OR ms SCH WA 572 W4 L m M WA 5 TEDELLO INVENTOR am wW ATTO R N EY Och 1952 M. SCHWARTZ ET AL FLASH LAMP SOCKET WITH EJECTOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed June 2, 1945 MORE/S ScHM/A/FTZ WLL/A M FAST/50am I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 21, 1952 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE FLASH L SOCKET WITH EJTECTOR Application June 2, 1945, Serial No. 597,356

2 Claims.

This invention relates to sockets for photo flash lamps, particularly to flash lamp sockets with electors and to flash lamps inserted in such sockets.

One of :the difficulties that has been encountered in photo flash work is that of speedily insorting and replacing a flash lamp when several pictures must be taken in rapid succession as is often required in professional work.

Flash lamps of conventional design have either a threaded base (standard size) or a bayonet lock base (midget size) In the first case several turns of the flash lamp are required to place the lamp in position and in the latter case the operator must find the correct lamp position in which the bayonet pins at the lamp base can enter the corresponding slots in the socket. Both operations require a certain time particularly when they have to be carried out in the dark as it is frequently the case. Furthermore, the bulbs of flash lamps become heated sufliciently to inflict burns when touched immediately after firing, also the bulb structure is often weakened by the combustion of the flash material within the bulb so that some times the bulb is pulled away from its base or collapses when the bulb is subjected to the stress of removing the lamp from the socket. As a result the operator is compelled to wait a certain time before he can remove a lamp and replace it by a new one.

One of the objects of the invention is a novel and improved socket for flash lamps in which a flash lamp either of the threaded base type or of the bayonet lock type can be inserted in any position without requiring any screwing movement or other manipulation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ejector means by which an inserted lamp either of the base type or of the bayonet lock type can be removed from the socket speedily and without touching the bulb so that any danger of burning or injury by breaking the bulb is eliminated.

Another object of the invention is a simplified design of the socket holder which can be conveniently and inexpensively manufactured.

Another object of the invention is a simplified design of the photo flash lamp itself, in particular a design simplifying the base of the lamp by permitting the use of a smooth base sleeve without requiring locking pins. Such elimination of looking pins, the mounting of which requires several operations during the manufacture of the bulb, reduces the lamp costs appreciably.

Another object of the invention is a simplified design of a flash lamp, particularly a lamp design 2 in which bulb and base are made out of one piece thereby reducing the costs of a lamp in comparison with a two-part lamp of conventional design.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter and in the appended claims forming part of the application.

In the accompanying drawings several embodiments of the invention are shown by way of'illustration and not by Way of limitation.

Fig. 1 is an elevational sectional view of a socket according to the invention in which a flash lamp according to the invention is inserted, part of a reflector fastened to the socket is also shown.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, the flash lamp and the reflector being removed.

Fig. 3 is an elevational sectional view of a modification of a socket according to the invention, the inserted flash lamp being of the conventional bayonet lock base type.

Fig. l is a plan view of Fig. reflector and flash lamp.

Fig. 5 shows a socket according to the invention similar to the one illustrated in Fig. 1 but specifically adapted to conventional flash lamps of the threaded base type.

Fig. 6 shows a modification of a flash lamp according to the invention inserted in a socket according to Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 shows a sectional elevational view of another modification of a socket according to the invention and another modification of a flash lamp according to the invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 in detail, these figures show a socket generally designated l0 and comprising a member It made of any suitable material such as a plastic. This member has a central opening 12 in which is tightly fitted a metal sleeve H3. The top of member I l is shaped to support a reflector M which may be fastened to member H by screws IE or other suitable means. Sleeve l3 is extended into a threaded sleeve Hi by means of which the socket l0 may be inserted in the socket head of a conventional battery case (not shown). A disc-shaped portion ll made of insulating material such as plastic is fitted in sleeve I3 and held in position by a screw it or other suitable means. Disc ll has a central cylindrical opening E9 in which is placed a coil spring 20 abutting at its lower end against a collar 2i fastened within opening 19 and abutting with its upper end against a collar '22 sup porting a metal pin 23. Spring 26 urges pin 23 upwardly, the upward movement of the pin being limited by a shoulder 2 E. Pin 23 serves as 3 after removal of part of the ejector arrangement and also as one of the conductors. For the latter purpose it is connected by a wire to a contact 26 provided at the bottom of sleeve l6 and electrically insulated therefrom. The second conductor is formed by threaded sleeve I6 which is electrically connected to sleeve l3 as apparent from the drawings. The conductors formed by contact 26 and sleeve l6 are then connected through the socket head to the terminals of a battery. Since such arrangement is conventional, it is not shown here in detall.

There is also provided an elongated slot 30 in insulation member II in which is pivotally supported a locking member 3|. This locking member is pivotal about a pivot pin 32 inserted in member H. In order to facilitat the mounting of pivot pin 32 recesses 33, 33 in the insulation member may be provided. Locking member 3| extends at one end outside of the slot 30 in member II to form a handle 3|. The other end of locking member 3| forms a sharp edged nose 3 which is preferably made out of a hard metal such as tempered steel. Nose 3| extends into the exterior of sleeve l3 through a'slot 34 provided therein. A suitably arranged spring is provided which tends to pivot lockin member 3| in such a direction that nose 3 willprotrude into the exterior of the sleeve. Such spring arrangement may comprise a coil spring 36 placed in an opening provided in the bottom 30 of slot 30.

The flash lamp generally designated 40 may be of conventional design-as far as filament and the flash material placed in the bulb 4| thereof are concerned. The base of the lamp comprises a smooth metal sleeve 42 such as is usually used for flash lamps of the bayonet type. However, according to the invention the locking pins usually provided on the sleeve ar omitted. Sleeve 42 is connected in a conventional manner to one terminal of the lamp filament, the other filament terminal being connected, also in a conventional manner, to a contact point 43.

The operation of the assembly hereinbefore described is as follows:

Assuming the operator desires to insert a flash lamp according to the invention into the socket I0, he then simply presses the base 42 of the lamp into the sleeve |3 until he feels by the resistance of spring actuated contact pin 23 that the lamp has been sufliciently deeply inserted to insure contact between contact pin 23 and contact 43. Since as previously mentioned the lamp base has no locking pins to be fitted into corresponding slots in the socket, the lamp can be inserted in any position thereby eliminating any necessity of groping for the correct lamp position.

After having the lamp sufiiciently deeply inserted the operator simply releases the lamp, then the more or less compressed spring 20 will try to eject the lamp by pressing it upwardly- However, any upward movement of the lamp base in conjunction with the action of spring 36 will cause nose 3|" to bite into the material of base sleeve 42, such sleeve being usually made of a material such as brass which is rather soft in comparison to the material of nose 3| Consequently nose 3|" will safely lock lamp 40in its position in socket I0.

In order to release the lamp for instance after firing, it is only necessary to move handle 3| counterclockwise or upwardly thereby separating nose 3| from sleeve 42. Spring 2!] now presses lamp 40 upwardly thereby ejecting it from the socket. As will be apparent from the previous description such removal of the lamp is accomplished without touching the bulb.

The modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is similar to the one shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and described in connection therewith. The socket according to Figs. 3 and 4 is distinguished from the previously described socket by being specifically designed for the reception of lamps of the bayonet lock type. However, it should be understood that it can be equally used for the reception of lamps according to the invention shown in Fig. l and also for lamps of the threaded base type which may also be inserted in a socket such as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4 in detail the same numerals have been used in these figures as have been used in Figs. 1 and 2 to designate corresponding parts.

As has been previously mentioned conventional lamps of the bayonet lock type have looking pins which compel the operator to insert the lamp in a definite position. In order to eliminate the necessity of finding such definite lamp position a sleeve I3 corresponding to sleeve I3 of Fig. 1 is provided which is divided in a' plurality, preferably four or six resilient leaves'or fingers l3a, l3b, I3 These leaves have such depth and are distributed so that the looking pins 50 of a conventional flash lamp 5| inserted into the socket will engage two diametrically opposite slots between two fingers or leaves in each position of the lamp. In order to guide the locking pins 50 safely into two slots the tops of the leaves may be tapered as can be best seen in Fig. 3.

As will be obvious from the previous description the lamp will be locked in its position by the locking arrangement described in connection with Fig. 1 and will be ejected by contact pin 23 when the locking member 3| is released.

Fig. 5 shows a socket according to the invention and similar to the one illustrated in Fig. 1 and described in connection therewith. The same numerals have been used to designate corresponding parts.

The modification according to Fig. 5 is specifically designed for flash lamps of the threaded base type. However, it can also be used for flash lamps having a smooth base sleeve such as has been shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 5 in detail, the modification shown in this figur is distinguished from Fig. 1 by providing a lockin member 3|a having several sharp edge noses 3|a" rather than only one nose. The purpose of providing several noses is to secure a safe grip of at least one of the noses on one of the threads of the threaded base sleeve 52 of a conventional flash lamp 53 of the threaded base type. It will be understood that a single nose might engage the sleeve 52 between two threads thereby failing to bite into the sleeve material.

Fig. 6 shows a socket which is similar tothe one illustrated in Fig. lin conjunction with another modification of a flash lamp according to the invention.

The flash lamp shown in Fig. 6 comprises a bulb 60 which is extended into a substantially cylindrical base 6|. Both flash lamp sections 60 and 6| are made of one piece for instance of glass coated at the inside and the outside with a suitable transparent material as is conventionally used for coating photo flash bulbs, such as a suitable plastic. One of the terminals of filament 62 is connected by a wire 63 to a contact point 64 at the bottom of the lamp, the other terminal is connected to a wire 65 which is brought out of the lamp by means of a vacuum tight seal formed for instance by soldering as indicated at 6'6. Wire 65 is connected to a wire 61 or extended into such wire. The wire extension 61 is wound with one or more turns about lamp base section Bl. It serves to establish contact between the lamp filament and sleeve [3 which in turn is connected to threaded sleeve it.

It is of course also possible to omit metal sleeve 13 in the sockets shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6 and to use the locking member 3| itself as conductor. Fig. '7 shows another modification of a socket according to the invention and also another modification of the flash lamp. The socket shown in Fig. 7 is distinguished from the previously described sockets by omitting the metal sleeve I3 thereby permitting to make member II and disc I! of Fig. 1 out of one piece to form an insulation member 10. The arrangement of the locking member and its support are the same as has been described in conjunction with the previous figures. Identical numerals are therefore used.

The flash lamp shown as being inserted in the socket is similar to the flash lamp illustrated in Fig. 6 as to the design of the bulb and base. One terminal of filament 62 is brought out at the bottom of the bulb 60 and connected to a contact 64 which can be engaged by spring actuated contact pin 23. The other terminal of filament 62 is connected to a wire H which is also brought out at the bottom of the lamp and connected to a contact 12. This contact point can engage a spring actuated second contact pin 23' similar to pin 23. The same numerals but primed are therefore used as are used for the description of the first contact pin. Contact pin 23' is electrically connected to metal sleeve it by a wire 13. The locking mechanism is the same as has been previously described in connection with the previous figures. In order to secure a. safe grip between nose SI" and the walls of lamp section 6|, this lamp section is preferably coated with a comparatively soft material such as a plastic.

As will be apparent from the previous specification the lamp can be inserted by simply pressing it against the two contact pins 23, 23' and can be removed by lifting locking member 31 out of engagement with base section 6 I.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain particular preferred examples and embodiments it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding our invention that Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention, and it is intended therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A flash lamp socket with ejector comprising a metal shell including a plurality of pairs of axial slots extending from the base receiving end of the shell, the slots of each pair being disposed diametrically opposite to each other, said shell being arranged to receive a flash lamp of the threaded base type or a flash lamp of the bayonet lock base type in diilerent rotational positions of the bayonet pins of the latter type relative to the receiving end of the shell, spring actuated means mounted within said shell at the bottom thereof and arranged to be loaded by the base of an inserted lamp and to eject an inserted lamp when 6 released, said spring means constituting one of the socket terminals, the other being constituted by said shell, the axial depth of each of said slots being selected to permit contact between the spring means and the base of an inserted lamp with bayonet type base when a bayonet pin of said lamp is received by any one of said slots, a two-arm locking lever having at the end of one arm a pointed edge, said lever being pivotally supported on the socket in a position in which the pointed edge protrudes through one of said slots into the interior of the shell when the axis of the lever arm having the pointed edge thereon is approximately transversely to the shell axis so as to cause engagement between the pointed edge and the base of a lamp being inserted in the shell, and in which the other lever arms extends from the socket, the pivot point of said lever being positioned and arranged to cause the lever to be pivoted into a position in which the pointed edge thereof clears the interior of the shell in response to the engagement of said pointed edge upon the insertion of a lamp and to be pivoted into a position in which the said pointed edge protrudes into the interior of the shell and is pressed against the wall of the lamp in response to the ejection pressure exerted by the loaded spring means upon the lamp base, thereby locking the lamp within the socket, said lever arm extending from the socket being arranged to pivot the lever in the direction for Withdrawal of the pointed edge from engagement with the base wall, thereby releasing the lamp for ejection, and means biasing said lever into a position in which the pointed edge thereof protrudes into the interior of said shell.

2. A flash lamp socket with ejector comprising a metal shell including a plurality of pairs of axial slots extending from the base receiving end of the shell, the slots of each pair being disposed diametrically opposite to each other, said shell being arranged to receive a flash lamp of the threaded base type or a flash lamp of the bayonet lock base type in different rotational positions of the bayonet pins of the latter type relative to the receiving end of the shell, spring actuated means mounted within said shell at the bottom thereof and arranged to be loaded by the base of an inserted lamp and to eject an inserted lamp when released, said spring means constituting one of the socket terminals, the other being constituted by said shell, the aXial depth of each of said slots being selected so as to permit contact between the spring means and the base of an inserted lamp with bayonet type base when a bayonet pin of said lamp is received by any one of said slots, a two-arm locking lever pivotally supported on the socket, said lever having one arm ending in a pointed edge, and extending into the interior of said socket through one of said axial slots, the other forming an actuation handie, the lever pivot point being arranged and positioned to provide for a pivotal movement of the lever in which the pointed arm thereof swings within the said axial slot parallel thereto, the length of the said arm being selected so that said pointed edge protrudes into the interior of the shell in a direction approximately transversely to the shell axis for part of the pivotal movement of the pointed arm so as to cause the pointed arm to be engaged by the base of a lamp while being inserted and to be turned toward the bottom of the shell and within the confines of the shell thereby permitting complete insertion of the lamp, and to be turned toward the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 15 file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Frankel Apr. 3, 1917 Gorman Nov. 9, 1920 Vierkotter Apr. 19, 1927 Schwartz et a1 Feb. 25, 1 941 DeMargetta Feb. 3, 1942 Nicholas Aug. 18, 1942 Mihalyi Jan. 12, 1943 Glashow Apr. 10, 1945 Mendelsohn Sept. 4, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS I Country Date Number England of 1884 

